Tenuous Fighter
by xoloveJBox
Summary: In which Casey isn't the youngest Braxton, his sister Lydia is. After months studying in England, Lydia decides to surprise her brothers with an unexpected visit, though she isn't totally honest with them about her reasons for coming home... The summary is stupid, but maybe the story isn't? I'll let you decide! Please read and review!
1. Prologue

_**A/N: This is my first H&A fanfic, so please bear with me!**_

_**I'm not going to ramble too much because a) there isn't much to say at this point and b) if I do, the author's note will be longer than the chapter haha :D**_

_**But yeah, I know there aren't really many stories in the H&A section, but if anyone does read this, please let me know what you think!**_

_**Thanks!**_

_**xoloveJBox**_

* * *

_**Prologue**_

"_Alright Lady, I think you're good to go." Brax told his little sister after he'd finished loading her suitcases onto a trolley for her._

_Knowing that it was so close made her eyes well up, and she shot him a watery smile._

"_I'm going to miss you guys." She told her brothers quietly, sliding her backpack from her shoulders and dropping it on the floor at her feet._

"_Well, the quicker you go, the quicker you'll come back." Heath joked, and Lydia playfully punched his arm._

"_Are you trying to get rid of me?" she asked, a mischievous grin on her face._

"_What can I say?" he shrugged casually "I'm sick of your nasty smelling shampoo in the bathroom."_

_Lydia let out a chuckle, and pulled him into a hug._

"_Behave yourself, ok? I'm not going to be here to clean up the mess." She warned teasingly, giving him a squeeze before letting go and moving over to Kyle. "Don't kill each other either, I'd rather come back to all of my brothers."_

"_We promise nothing." Casey replied, feigning seriousness "If you want to guarantee it, you need to stay."_

"_I won't be gone forever Case." Lydia promised, wrapping her arms around his neck affectionately. There was only eleven months between the two of them, and they'd always been close._

"_I know, but England's not exactly close." He retorted, pressing a kiss on the top of her head._

"_Yeah well, I'll be back for the wedding" she told him "Maybe Christmas, if I can scrape up enough money for a flight."_

"_You'll be back for Christmas. I'll sort you out, if you need me to." Brax promised firmly as Lydia pulled herself away from Casey, tears sliding silently down her face as she stepped in front of him. He put his hands on her shoulders, holding her out for a minute to look at her._

"_This," he started seriously "This is exactly how I want you to come back, ok? In one piece, so be careful, you hear me Lydia Braxton?"_

"_Yes sir." She replied with a mocking salute._

"_And if you need anything, money or whatever, just give me a call, alright. Don't suffer in silence." He rambled, grabbing her and enveloping her in an almost bone-shattering hug. _

"_I got it Brax." She promised, having to stand on her tip-toes to reach his height._

"_I know you're a geek and everything, so I don't need to remind you to get your work done, but make sure you have some fun as well." He continued, almost as if she hadn't said anything "You only get to be Eighteen and studying across the other side of the world once, so make the most of it."_

"_I got it." She repeated with a laugh, but before anyone could say anything, the overhead announced her flight._

"_That's me." She said, swiping at the tears on her cheeks "I better go."_

_Lydia couldn't look at her brothers as she gathered up her things. Now that she was actually leaving, she was starting to wonder if going to university in England was such a good idea, but she knew Brax was right: she might never get the chance to go again, she didn't want to pass it up._

"_Call us when you land, alright?" Brax instructed, and Lydia nodded. She shot them a smile and started to walk towards the terminal. She looked back before she turned the corner, and saw all four of them watching her with smiles on their faces .She waved and carried on before she could change her mind, ready to start a new adventure._


	2. Chapter 1

_**A/N: Hey! I hadn't planned to update this soon, but I've had such a great response to this so far that I felt mean haha**_

_**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far! I was really surprised :D **_

_**A little warning: I'm not very good at proof-reading. I always read it through and just decide that I hate it all and delete it, and when I've been writing a chapter for the best part of a week, that makes me sad. I do skim for any glaring mistakes though, so if anyone ever sees any I may have missed, please feel free to let me know!**_

_**I'm a little behind on the episodes, for two reasons. 1) I live in England, and that's a few months behind Australia anyway and 2) I've not long started uni, so I'm currently watching the episodes on catch up, so please, no spoilers!**_

_**I'm afraid this chapter is a little slow. There isn't really much I can do about that, because of where I chose to start, I need to do a little character introduction before I can really get down to the main story that I have planned, so apologies! It should start to pick up, at least a little, in the next chapter though :D**_

_**I'm going to stop now before the Author's note is longer than the actual chapter haha**_

_**Please let me know what you think!**_

_**Thanks again :)**_

_**xoloveJBox**_

* * *

_**Chapter One**_

The taxi pulled up, and Lydia Braxton let out a content sigh.

She was home.

The last few months had been spent in England, studying at a university, and although she enjoyed herself more than she knew how to describe, she missed her brothers, and nowhere could compare to Summer Bay.

She quickly paid and got out, the heat hitting her like a tidal wave. The seasons were reversed in England, so while home had been sweltering hot with the onset of summer, she'd spent her days dithering in more layers of clothes than she'd ever had reason to wear. She was still dressed in the winter clothes she'd left England in, and she couldn't wait to change out of the smothering materials.

But first, she was going to have to battle her way to the house with her heavy suitcase. The driver had lifted it from the car for her, and even after he'd driven away, she simply stood and looked at it for a few minutes, trying to think of a strategy to keep it from defeating her. If even one of her four older brothers was home, she wouldn't have a problem, but she was alone. In fact, Brax, Heath, Kyle and Casey didn't even know that she had returned.

In the end, she decided that staring at it wasn't going to help her get to the house, so she settled with the only option she could see: drag it, and hope for the best.

It was harder than she'd anticipated, and she had to stop a few times to catch her breath.

"Do you need a hand Lydia?" she heard someone call at her side, and looked over to see her neighbour, John Palmer.

"I think I've got it Mr Palmer" she replied with a smile "but thank you anyway."

John waved in acknowledgment and clambered into his car. He hadn't known that Lydia was coming home, and he needed to see Brax ,so he'd have to hurry to catch him now that his sister had returned.

After John drove off, and Lydia started to heave her case again, she wished she'd taken him up on his offer. But eventually, she managed to bounce it up the steps and to the door.

She dumped the case in the breezeway and let herself in, flopping herself down on the couch, exhausted from a long flight, and within a few minutes, she felt herself start to doze, lulled by the familiar, comfortable feel of home.

John let out a little sigh of relief when he walked into Angelo's to see Brax still standing behind the bar.

"Brax," he boomed in a way that only John Palmer could "I'm glad I caught you mate. I thought you'd be on your way home now that Lydia's back."

Brax furrowed his brow slightly in confusion "You're a few months late, John" he replied coolly "Lyd's in England."  
"No," John argued "I saw her get out of a cab not ten minutes ago."

Kyle emerged from the kitchen, his ears perked at the mention of his sister.

"Did you say Lydia's home?" he questioned, just as puzzled as Brax was. The brothers glanced at each other for a second before wordlessly striding together towards the door. When they climbed into the Ute, Kyle pulled out his phone while Brax pulled away, and called Heath first.

"What do you want, you goon? I'm working." Heath snapped as soon as he answered, and Kyle rolled his eyes.

"Did you know that Lydia was coming home?" Kyle asked seriously, and he could almost see the look of confusion on Heath's face.

"What are you talking about?" Heath demanded "Lyd's home?"

"Apparently." Kyle answered simply "Brax and I are heading there now."

"Alright, I'll be there in ten." Heath told him simply, and before he had chance to respond, Kyle heard the click of the line ending. He called Casey too, who seemed just as clueless as the rest of the brothers, and before long, they were pulling up outside their home.

The two of them hurried up the steps and down the breezeway, but they stopped in the doorway when they saw Lydia, just as John had said, though now she was snoring lightly on the couch.

"What the hell's going on?" Brax asked quietly, more to himself than anything else, and Kyle shrugged. Brax shook his head and crossed the room, gently putting a hand on Lydia's arm and shaking her lightly awake.

"Lyd," he whispered "Lyd, wake up."  
Lydia stirred, and shot him a weary smirk when she peeled open her tired eyelids.

"Hey," she croaked as she stretched "You're home early. I wanted to surprise you."

"Well, I'm definitely surprised." Brax told her honestly "What are you doing here?"

"I came for Heath's wedding." Lydia answered casually as she got up and stretched a little more, and she beamed happily when she saw Kyle in the doorway.

"We weren't expecting you for another week for that." Brax retorted, trying to wrap his head around what was going on.

"Jeez," Lydia rolled her eyes impatiently "Do you not understand the concept of a surprise? You weren't _supposed _to be expecting me now." She could tell that her brother still wasn't convinced, so she walked over to him and put her hands on his shoulders warmly "I've just spent a whole twenty-four hours on a plane for this, and I don't even get a hug?"

Brax looked her in the eyes for a moment, and though he couldn't put his finger on it, there was just something there that told him she wasn't being entirely truthful. But, he wasn't sure enough to call her out on it, so he let himself relax, pulling her into a hug.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled into her hair "It's so good to see you."

"It's good to see you too," she replied truthfully "I never thought I'd miss the almost constant stream of bickering around here."

"We never bicker," Kyle retorted, feigning indignation as he moved towards her too "Girls bicker."

"Then you must all be girls, because you four do nothing _but _bicker!" Lydia joked, launching herself at him

"Lady!" Heath exclaimed from the doorway, and Lydia let out a laugh. She hadn't heard the affectionate nickname for a while. Her brothers had called it her for as long as she could remember, because they had joked that she was the lady of the house. He was closely followed by Casey, and for a few minutes of cheerful greeting, Lydia forgot how tired she was.

"I thought you were coming a little closer to the wedding?" Heath asked when some of the noisy chatter that had filled the room died down a little.

"And miss seeing your pre-marital organisation angst? No thank you." Lydia retorted with a mischievous grin.

"How long are you here for?" Casey questioned, and Lydia shrugged.

"I don't know." She answered simply, making Brax suspicious again. Lydia had always been diligent with her grades- there was no way she'd risk them without a proper reason.

Heath looked down at his watch and cursed under his breath "I'm supposed to be at work," he sighed dejectedly "but I can see if I can get the afternoon off, if you want Lyd?"

"No no, don't do that." Lydia told him "I'm tired anyway, so why don't you four go back to whatever you were doing, and I'll get a few hours sleep. I might even shout you guys a feed tonight, if you're lucky."

"Sounds good to me." Kyle replied, and there was a low hum of agreement from Casey and Heath. Lydia let out a yawn, and the brothers started to pile out of the house again. Brax knew that something was going on with his sister, and while he might have let it go for now, he was determined to find out what it was.


	3. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Hey :)**_

_**So, this is a really short chapter, but I think it kind of reveals a bit more of what's going on with Lydia, so hopefully you won't all hate it haha **_

_**I have written a few chapters in advance, but after this I'm only going to post once a week so that I should always have something to post, even if I don't have much time to write over the next few weeks (which is very likely, since I have a tonne of deadlines that I have to meet if I actually want to have a Christmas holiday lol :p)**_

_**I'm going to be quiet now and let you read the chapter :D Keep the reviews coming guys! I love reading them, and I'm completely astounded by all the positive things people have had to say so far. Hopefully, if you have any questions at this point, they should be answered in the chapters to come, but if not, feel free to ask!**_

_**Thanks again!**_

_**xoloveJBox**_

* * *

_**Chapter Two**_

When Lydia woke up, she couldn't breathe. Her heart pounded uncomfortably in her chest, and panic started to wash over her. Her head spun precariously, and she clung to the bed sheets to stop herself from being flung to the ground.  
This wasn't the first time.  
She knew that if she didn't get some air into her lungs soon, she would pass out, so she lay in her bed, tangled up in the sheets, taking deep, forced breaths. After a long, dragging few minutes, she started to feel better.  
Maybe she was just still tired, she told herself, though she didn't even convinced herself. Or maybe it was an anxiety thing.  
Whatever it was, Lydia just wished it would stop.  
It had been happening for a few weeks, getting progressively worse, each time scarier than the last. Random bursts of dizziness seemed to like catching her off-guard; draining fatigue liked to weigh her down mercilessly, and unexpected chest pains sometimes made it hard for her to breathe. Only a few people knew: a small handful of people that she shared a block with at university, and her best friend, Sasha. They had all been sworn to secrecy, but Lydia knew she'd have to tell her brothers sooner or later. She'd seen the way Brax was looking at her; he knew something was going on- he'd pretty much raised her, and he knew her better than she knew herself sometimes- but she was a Braxton, after all, and lying to keep out of trouble was a skill she'd learned from her big brothers from a young age.  
Not that she thought she'd be in trouble; she just didn't want to worry them unnecessarily. She'd take a few weeks out, relax a bit, and go back to England right as rain. Brax, Heath, Kyle and Casey would be none the wiser, and they could all carry on with their lives.  
Hopefully.  
For now, Lydia slid out of her bed, and padded quietly to the bathroom. She closed the door and revelled in the cool air that seemed to be circulating in there. She ran the cold tap and splashed water on her face to wash away any traces of the clammy sweat that covered her face, making her hair cling to her neck. She saw that she was a little pale, but she thought she could easily find a way to dismiss that to her brothers.  
Feeling a lot better than when she'd first woken up, Lydia made her way downstairs. All four of them were in the living room, watching tv quieter than usual, and Brax looked around over the back of the couch when he heard her.  
"Hey," he grinned warmly "You're up."  
"How long have you guys been home?" Lydia questioned, stifling a yawn.  
"I don't know, a couple of hours." Casey shrugged nonchalantly as his sister flopped down next to him and pulled her feet up underneath her.  
"You should have woken me up." She told them incredulously "I wouldn't have minded"  
"Yeah well, like you said, you flew for a whole day to surprise us, so we thought the least we could do was let you sleep a little longer." Kyle replied casually, picking up his guitar and starting to play now that Brax wasn't going to shoot him death glares every time he tried.  
"And we're not stupid enough to wake the sleeping beast." Heath chuckled, and Lydia flung out her arm and punched him playfully in mock anger.  
"I don't know about you guys, but I'm starving." Brax announced, pushing himself up from his seat "Do you guys want to go out, or should we order in?"  
"Order in." Lydia answered quicker than she'd intended. Her brothers frowned at her confusedly, and she waved dismissively "I want to surprise Sash, and she might see us if we go out."  
That was partly true, though she'd been gone from the Bay for months. Sasha would be surprised whether she saw her tonight or in the morning. But if it was some sort of anxiety that was causing her problems, she didn't want to risk making it worse by going out.  
Her brothers, however, seemed content with her choice, and within minutes they were arguing over what to order. At least some things never change, she thought happily, before joining in with their bickering.


	4. Chapter 3

_**A/N: Hey guys!**_

_**I know I said I was only going to upload once a week, and I'm still thinking of that, but I have had a couple of reviews with people asking me not to wait that long between updates. The problem is I have uni work, exams, and other fics that I write, so I really don't know what to do now :/ Updating only once a week is probably the only way I could pretty much guarantee regular updates, but I think we'll just see how it goes for now?**_

_**Anyway, I promise things will start to pick up soon! I'm really paranoid that people are going to start losing interest soon if something doesn't happen yet, but because I didn't introduce Lydia at the same time as the other Braxtons came into it, I need to build up her character first :D**_

_**Righto, I'm going to shut up now haha Please let me know what you think!**_

_**xoloveJBox**_

* * *

_**Chapter Three**_

The sun had barely risen when Lydia strode casually across the beach. She felt the sand between her toes, and her board under her arm, and as she looked out over the ocean, she wondered how she'd coped without it since she'd been away. Brax had always joked that her first steps had been onto a surf board, and she didn't doubt it. Lydia was convinced that it was in her blood. The early morning breeze played lightly with her hair, and she drew in a long breath of it. As she made her way towards the water, she made a mental note to look into the nearest beach to her uni, because there was no way she could go another few months without surfing.

The waves were refreshing, and when she emerged again, she wasn't so tired. She maybe could have done with a few more hours sleep to feel right, but if she let herself have it, her internal clock would be even more out of sync, and she definitely didn't want that. She dried herself off, slipping back into her denim shorts and loose, baggy t-shirt, before stuffing her wet towel into her bag and making her way back towards home.

When she got back, Casey and Brax were both grumbling tiredly over their coffees at the table, and Heath was slumped on the couch, yawning.

"Where've you been?" Heath questioned groggily, and for a minute, Lydia simply stared incredulously at him.

"Well," she started, smirking amusedly "My hair is wet, and I have my surf board. Where do you think I've been Heath?"

"Shut up." Heath shot back defensively as his siblings chuckled at him.

"So what's your plan for the day Lyd?" Brax asked casually.

"Well," Lydia started, pulling her towel back out of her bag and rubbing her hair with it "I was thinking I might just hang out at Angelo's for a bit this morning, and go and see people this afternoon. Which reminds me:" she looked to Casey hopefully "Case, will you text Sash and ask her to meet you at Angelo's for me please?"

"Why would Sasha meet me?" he questioned curiously.

"She's not meeting you, she's meeting me, but I don't want her to know that." She smirked mischievously as she hopped up onto the counter.

Casey sighed and rolled his eyes, but he pulled his phone out all the same.

"Lydia Jayne Braxton, I've told you once, I'll tell you again: the counter is not for your rear. Get down." Brax expostulated, and Lydia let out a chuckle.

"I know, but Brax, what would you fill your days with if I didn't give you things to tell me off for?" she challenged cheekily "I mean, I'm just trying to help you out. I don't want you to get lax in my absence."

"Oh trust me, he's not." Casey assured her "He just gets onto us more instead."

"Maybe it's all part of the plan." Lydia shrugged casually. She put the towel over her head to rub her hair a little more, and the next thing she knew, she felt Brax give her a sharp nudge, and she slipped from the counter. Her brothers erupted into laughter, and Lydia pulled the towel off and scowled.

"Was that part of the plan Lyd?" Brax asked smugly as he held out his hand to pull her up again.

"You better watch your back, Braxton, because I'm going to get you for that." She warned teasingly.

"Really?" he laughed in reply "I'd like to see you try."

"You'd better be careful. She learned everything she knows from the top river boys." A familiar voice told him from the doorway, and Lydia didn't even need to turn around to know who was standing there: Ricky Sharp.

Lydia had gotten over being angry at Ricky for what had happened with Adam. She knew that Casey had had a harder time with that, but she knew that she could see what Ricky had done in a light that her brothers couldn't; she was a little sister, just like Ricky. Lydia liked to believe that she had a firm moral stance, she wasn't sure that she'd be able to say no if one of her big brothers asked her to do something that she knew was wrong, not if they desperately needed her to do it.

"I'd heard you were around." Lydia said simply, a ghost of a smile playing onto her face.

"I wish I could say the same about you, but you sprung up on us." Ricky retorted coolly, making Lydia let out a hearty laugh, striding over to wrap her old friend in a hug. Bianca appeared beside her in the breezeway, and Lydia let out a little scream before pulling her into their embrace too.

"It's so good to see you guys!" Lydia exclaimed happily.

"She wasn't this pleased to see us." Casey grumbled playfully, looking around at his brothers.

"That's because you guys woke me up." Lydia shot back at them before turning back to Bianca "I just thought that since you're at work, and April's at the hospital, you might need an extra pair of hands with planning the wedding."

"Absolutely!" Bianca answered "We're going to have a girl's night, ok?" she decided, then pointed a finger warningly at Lydia and Ricky "And no complaining; you both have to come."

Brax let out a chuckle as they two of them groaned simultaneously, and he thought about the fact that for the things that he and his brothers couldn't teach her, about being a girl in general, Ricky had always been the one to take the job-which meant that Lydia mostly shared Ricky's disdain for dainty femininity, and they were both about as much tomboys as anyone could imagine.

"I mean it, I will drag you both kicking and screaming." Bianca stipulated adamantly.

"Are you kidding me?" Heath demanded "The little gnome's only been home for a day and she's already kicking me out?"

"No," Bianca retorted firmly "_I'm _kicking you out."

"That sounds great, but Brax and I have to go." Lydia announced, slinging her worn denim jacket over her arm and heading towards the door.

"Wait a minute, why do I need to go?" Brax asked, still sat at the table.

"Because, Sasha can't meet me at Angelo's if Angelo's isn't open." she answered knowingly, and Brax rolled his eyes before following her, relenting.

As they drove, Lydia rolled down the window and felt the warm breeze on her face. She looked out across the streets that she'd come to love since they'd moved from Mangrove River, where she'd never really felt like she fit in. But Summer Bay was undoubtedly where she belonged; she's known that for a while, but being back only reiterated the idea.

Soon enough, they were pulling up outside of Angelo's, and when they got inside, Lydia was more than pleased to see that it hadn't changed at all. Working there for Brax in pretty much every second of her free time had been the only reason she'd been able to afford to go to England in the first place, and she couldn't deny that she was fond of the place.

For a little while, she helped Brax set up for the day, but when she heard someone coming up the stairs, Lydia could almost see Sasha's scuffed boots stomping moodily up them, wondering why the hell Casey Braxton wanted to meet her this early in the morning. With a grin on her face, she scurried outside and hid around the corner, peering around just in time to see Sash emerge at the top of the stairs.

"Hi Brax." She greeted as cheerfully as she could, which Lydia knew wasn't very much since Sasha wasn't exactly a morning person. "Have you seen Casey? He told me he needed to see me this morning, and I have no idea why."

Lydia crept back inside and leant casually on the doorframe, crossing one leg across the other and folding her arms across her chest.

"Well, I guess I'll just have to do then." She sighed dramatically, and Sasha's head snapped towards her, confusion etched into her features before they gave way to a wide beam.

When the two of them started to squeal excitedly, Brax had to ask himself how such high pitched noises could be humanly possible without needing medical attention, but it didn't last long.

"What are you doing here?" Sasha exclaimed incredulously "I thought you weren't coming back until a few days before the wedding!"

"Jesus Christ" Lydia replied, feigning indignation "Does no one around here know what a surprise is?!"

"I'm definitely not complaining" Sasha added quickly "It's so good to have you here!"

"Come on," Lydia started, linking her little finger with Sasha's "I'll walk you to school."

When Sasha saw Lydia cast a cautionary glance towards her brother, she knew that her friend wanted to talk, so despite the fact that she no longer wanted to go to school, and they turned towards the door.

"See you in a bit Brax." Lydia called over her shoulder as the two girls disappeared around the corner.

For a few minutes, Lydia told Sasha about England, but she had so much to tell her that there was no way it would all fit into their walk, so it soon dwindled.

"You haven't told them yet, have you?" Sasha asked knowingly. Lydia opened her mouth to answer, albeit not truthfully, but Sasha raised her eyebrows at her, reading Lydia's face, so she already knew the answer.

"I will." Lydia retorted simply, and Sasha rolled her eyes.

"You need to do it soon Lyd." She admonished sternly, stopping them and facing her friend "Look, I talked to my dad about it, and he agrees that it could just be stress, but he said there are a couple of other things it could be to, so you need to get yourself checked out."

"Like what?" Lydia questioned, worry piquing and niggling in her mind.

"I don't know." Sasha sighed "He didn't tell me, which is why you really need to see a doctor because I'm worried about you."

"Alright, alright." Lydia assured her "I'm going to spend some time at home first, relax, and just make sure that it definitely isn't stress, and then I'll go. I promise."

Sasha nodded, and Lydia could tell that her friend was upset, so shot her a smile and hoped it was enough to be reassuring.

"Right," she continued cheerfully "You'd better get going, or you'll be late."

"Yes ma'am." Sasha joked, more at ease now that Lydia had promised "Why don't you come over later? I know April and Dex would love to see you too."

"I'll do you one better," Lydia offered with a forced grin "I'm having a girl's night with Bianca, Ricky and Tamara. You and April should join us."

"That sounds good." Sasha replied, though her smile was more genuine, apparently oblivious to the discomfort the bluntness of her words had caused in her best friend, no matter how well-intended they had been.

"Miss Braxton," Someone called behind them, and they turned to see Bianca standing with her hand on her hip feux-sternly "I do hope you're not corrupting my students by encouraging them to be late."

"Would I do such a thing, Miss Scott?" Lydia called back playfully, and the awkward atmosphere dissipated, so she turned back to Sasha "I'll see you later, ok?"

Sasha nodded again and started to make her way to school, looking back once to wave, and Lydia reciprocated with a smile before heading back towards Angelo's, new thoughts swirling in her mind, and most of them were far from comforting.


	5. Chapter 4

_**A/N: Hey guys! I didn't realise it had been so long since I updated, sorry!**_

_**Umm, this is more like a filler chapter than anything else...I promise chapter 6 will reveal all! (well, partly...haha)**_

_**Please let me know what you think!**_

_**xoloveJBox**_

* * *

_**Chapter Four**_

"Ok, enough's enough." Bianca boomed over the sound of cheerful chatter. "We all know that there's a question we've all been thinking."

Lydia, Ricky, April, Sasha and Tamara quietened down curiously, each shooting Bianca an expectant, questioning glance as they tried to work out what she was talking about.

"You've been in England for months, so we want to know; are there any cute British guys on the scene?"

"No," Lydia exclaimed with a giggle "There are no boys in the picture."

"This doesn't have anything to do with Sam Rogers, does it?" Ricky asked, wriggling her eyebrows mischievously.

Lydia scoffed in disbelief "How do you know about Sam?"

"I'm still in the Braxton loop." Ricky shrugged simply, and Lydia had to admit that it wasn't such a stretch of the imagination, so she accepted it without question.

"No," she told them nostalgically, "it doesn't have anything to do with Sam."

Sam Rogers was Dex's best friend, and one of the first friends Lydia made in Summer Bay. After a while, the two of them had grown closer and closer until they finally admitted their feelings for one another, and started dating. They'd been good together-everyone seemed to think so- but in the end, Lydia had had too many doubts being whispered in her ear about whether they could deal with such a distance between them, so she'd broken it off with him, despite what her heart was screaming at her. She just didn't think it was fair to him to make him wait around for her while she was enjoying herself in England. Though Sam didn't seem to like or agree with what she told him, he seemed to accept her reasons, and he didn't argue too much, because he didn't want to put a downer on Lydia's trip, but it did mean that they hadn't spoken in months, each of them finding it too hard.

"He's back in the Bay now too," April told her casually "Maybe you could catch up with him while you're both home."

Sasha shot April a deadly glare and nudged her roughly, making April realise she'd said the wrong thing, but it was too late: Lydia had caught on to what she'd said, and she wasn't going to let it go.

"Back?" she questioned "Back from where?"  
Sasha let out a sigh and looked to her friend. She didn't see the point in keeping it a secret now.

"He asked us not to say anything. You were leaving anyway, and he didn't want you to worry." She explained elusively, hoping that Lydia would leave it alone, but of course, she didn't.

"What are you talking about Sash?" She demanded, trying not to sound too harsh "Back from where?"

"Sam joined the army Lydia." Sasha revealed sullenly, wishing that she wasn't the one to tell her friend "He's been at a training camp, but now he's home for a while too."

"Why didn't he just tell me?" Lydia questioned, not quite able to wrap her head around the fact that pretty much everyone she knew had been keeping this from her. It was a small town, so the likelihood that her family didn't know was slim, and she made a mental note to have strong words with her brothers afterwards about it.

"He didn't want you to worry Lyd." April explained quietly, feeling bad that she'd let the secret slip "He still cares about you. _A lot._ Sam wanted you to be able to enjoy your trip without spending time thinking about what he was doing."

_Well,_ she thought to herself _I did that anyway._

Instead of voicing the revelation in her head, she straightened up and tried to keep her expression as neutral as possible.

"Well, I'll try and catch up with him while we're both here then." She said simply, though her friends were far from convinced by the act she was trying.

"If it makes you feel any better," April added quickly "I think he should have told you."

"Yes, well, he's probably not the only one keeping secrets." Sasha retorted, shooting Lydia a sly, knowing grin.

"Nevertheless, I'm sure he had his reasons." Lydia deadpanned back, no longer talking about Sam at all, but rather referring to herself. She couldn't understand why Sasha was being so moody about it: Lydia had every intention of telling her brothers why she had come back, but not until the right time presented it. She risked messing everything up, and she was going to do everything she could to keep that from happening.

"Alright," Ricky interjected, seeing the sudden tension between the two girls, but not wanting to draw attention to it "I thought this was a girl's night?! No more boy talk."

"I'm going to raid the take out menu in the kitchen." Lydia announced, getting up and heading towards the door as an excuse to leave for a few minutes to try and clear her head "I'll be right back."

Ricky watched her go with confused thoughts running through her head. Lydia was definitely hiding something, she knew that much- Lydia often forgot that she knew her better than she knew herself sometimes, and could read her like an open book- but Ricky couldn't work out why Lydia had kept it from her brothers, or alternatively, if she had told them, why Brax had kept it from her. But the latter was unlikely, so Ricky guessed that Lydia's skills in keeping secrets had improved since the last time she'd saw the girl. They must have done if she'd managed to avoid telling Brax, even if she had only been back for a day.

So whatever Lyd was hiding; Ricky knew it was important. So if Brax didn't know, he needed to, and Ricky was left with the conflict of trying to decide if it was her place to tell him.


	6. Chapter 5

_**A/N: Hi lovelies!**_

_**Once again, time has gone quicker than I realised, so it's been a day or two longer than I meant before I updated haha Sorry about that :)**_

_**Also, I actually made a mistake when in the last chapter when I said that it was chapter 6 that would reveal some things that Lydia has been hiding! It's this chapter, not 6 :D**_

_**So, before I babble on too much, I hope you enjoy! Please read and review, and let me know what you think!**_

_**xoloveJBox**_

* * *

_**Chapter Five**_

"Are you even listening to me?" Ricky demanded moodily as she stormed into Angelo's following Brax

"You're making it kind of hard not to listen Ricky." Brax retorted coolly as he strode across the restaurant, secretly wishing Ricky would give him a second to think.

"I'm telling you Brax, something is off with Lydia." Ricky argued defiantly, ignoring his quip, continuing on his heels "are you sure she hasn't said anything to you?"

"No, Ricky. She hasn't. Lydia hasn't said anything to me." Brax snapped, trying to keep his tone civil, but he had too much do and too much to think about to have Ricky hounding him all day.

"And you don't think that's strange?!" Ricky questioned quickly "When was the last time Lydia kept anything from you? And now she's ditched uni, she's come home a week early, and she won't tell anyone why?"

"Alright, so maybe it is weird." Brax admitted quietly before stiffening again "But what exactly do you want me to do about it? She's not a kid Ricky, I can't make her do anything."

"You can talk to her." Ricky shot back "You're her big brother, and she idolises you. She always has."

Brax set down the box he had been carrying on the bar, and turned to Ricky with a flustered sigh.

"Look, Ricky, Lydia is eighteen years old. She made the decision to go to England: maybe she just made the decision to come back. What if we're reading too much into this?"

"Do you really believe that Brax?" Ricky challenged, though she softened her tone a little "You can't tell me that this isn't eating you up, because you know that something is going on."

"If I promise to ask her about it, will you get off my back?" Brax sighed eventually. Ricky was relieved, but she hid it with a smug grin.

"Yep." She replied, feigning cheerfulness, turning and flouncing towards the door "Let me know how it goes."

When Lydia got home that evening, she was in an undeniably good mood. She'd spent a blissfully long morning at the beach with her surf board before meeting Dex to catch up in the afternoon. She'd missed spending time with her friends, and she made a mental note to do more to keep up with them all once she returned to England.

She let herself in with a smile on her face, to find all four of her brothers sitting in the living room. She knew it was rare for all four of them to be home at the same time, never mind all sitting together, but it was nice, and it only increased her mood.

"Hey guys," she chimed happily, bouncing towards the kitchen and pulling a carton of juice from the fridge. "What's for dinner?"

"Lydia, come here." She heard Brax instruct from the living room, and she could hear the seriousness in her tone. She frowned in confusion, but did as he asked, leaning against the bricked pillar that separated the two downstairs rooms

"What's up?" she asked casually, sipping her juice.

"We need to talk." Kyle told her seriously

"About what?" Lydia chimed simply.

"About the fact that you're hiding things from us." Casey retorted, irritated because he knew that Lydia was fully aware of what they meant.

"Alright, I can't hide it anymore," she sighed, and for a second, the brothers thought that it might have been easier than they'd anticipated, but that idea soon fell away with the cheeky, mischievous grin on her face before she answered "I am the real slim shady."

"Damn it, we're serious Lydia." Casey barked, and Lydia's grin faltered.

"What is this, 'pick on Lydia' day?" She demanded indignantly, losing a part of her cheery demeanour.

"No, it's 'find out why Lydia's been lying about why she really came home' day." Heath shot back sharply, and Brax shot him a cautionary glance.

"Look Lady, we know something's going on, alright?" He started firmly "So you might as well just tell us."

Lydia opened her mouth to argue, to once again tell them she had come back for the wedding, that was it, but she saw the stern, knowing glances plastered on all four of her brother's faces, so she didn't really see the point. She was going to have to tell them sooner or later, so what exactly was stopping her?

She opened her mouth to tell them. She wanted them to know so that she could ease a little of the weight she was carrying on her shoulders, but she couldn't do it. She saw their worried, expectant expressions, and she knew she couldn't tell them. It wouldn't be fair to them, and Lydia wasn't going to let herself ruin things for everyone else.

Without a word, she darted out the door, shooting apologies over her shoulder as she took off at a run. Casey, Kyle and Heath got up and made a move to follow her, but Brax stopped them.

"Boys, I'll go." He told them definitively, striding calmly through the door, leaving his brothers confused in the living room. He didn't have to rush after her, he knew exactly where she'd gone, and if he took his time, Lydia might not be so worked up by the time he got to her.

He walked along at his own leisurely pace until he finally spotted his sister, in exactly the place he'd guessed her to be: sitting in the sand, watching the waves. He padded quietly over to her, and Lydia didn't even need to turn around to know that he was there. She'd known it wouldn't be long until he caught up to her.

"Why couldn't you just leave it alone Brax?" She asked defencelessly, sniffing and swiping at her face.

"You made it kind of hard to." Brax shot back softly in a cool tone as he approached.

"Yeah, well, you can go away now." Lydia snapped, purposefully turning her head away from him, though Brax ignored her, which Lydia had fully expected.

"You know, whatever it is Lyd," Brax started quietly, sitting down next to her on the sand "we can sort it out. If you're struggling with the work or you're homesick, or you just don't like it, or if someone's upsetting you, we can do something about it."

"How soft do you think I am?" Lydia retorted with a weak chuckle, wiping at her face again with her sleeves "I'm not going to travel back from the other side of the world just because someone's upsetting me. I am a Braxton after all."

"Yes you are." Brax answered simply "And we stick together. Blood and sand, remember Lyd?" Lydia nodded and sniffed, looking away from him while she tried to keep more tears from spilling over her cheeks "So what is it, ey? Because we've both got people on our backs about this, and we all just want to help."

"I know you do." Lydia sighed defeatedly "The truth is, I've been having...issues."

"What kind of issues?" Brax questioned curiously, noticing the way his sister seemed to be choosing her words carefully.

"Umm, health issues." Lydia answered shakily. Brax didn't say anything for a long dragging second, letting the information sink in before he carried on.

"Like what?"

"Well, I've been feeling sick a lot, and really, _really _tired. And, I've been passing out."

"Ok, go on." Brax prodded, sensing that that wasn't everything.

"I went to a doctor in England, and she said I was probably just stressed from moving countries and starting uni and everything" she explained quietly "but then a few days before I flew back here, I was getting ready for a lecture, and I must have passed out because next thing I know; I'm waking up on the floor and three hours have gone." Her voice had started to tremble, and when she looked over at him, Brax could see the tears sliding down her face "Brax, that's _not_ stress. So, like a little girl, I got scared home and ran home."

Without saying anything, Brax wrapped his arms around Lydia's shoulders and pulled her closer to him, letting her nestle her head on his chest, and for a few minutes they sat silently on the sand while Brax rocked her gently.

"You did the right thing Lyd." He told her honestly, a million thoughts racing through his mind "We'll sort this out, I promise."

"You can't tell the others," Lydia quickly replied, sitting up and gazing at him firmly "Especially not Heath, alright? He has too much to do and too much to think about to add this as well."

"Alright," Brax agreed, though he wasn't particularly happy about it. He would have liked to keep his brothers in the loop so that they could help him keep an eye on her, but sooner or later, he was going to have to accept that his baby sister-who he'd pretty much raised, teaching her how to tie her shoes and write her name-wasn't a baby anymore, and that thought terrified him more than Brax wanted to admit.


	7. Chapter 6

_**A/N: Hey everyone!**_

_**This is going to be the last update before Christmas :) I'm nearly done with the next chapter, so that might be up before the new year, but I'm not too sure yet. When I go back to uni, I have exams so updates might be a bit sparse for a few weeks, but know that more will come before long :D**_

_**Anyway, I hope you all have a lovely christmas and a fab new year!**_

_**xoloveJBox**_

* * *

_**Chapter Six**_

The next day, Lydia made Brax get up and go to Angelo's before her other brothers even stirred. Brax was undeniably irritated by the unnecessarily early start to the day, but he humoured her all the same.

"You know," he started casually as they drove through the quiet town "You can't avoid the boys forever. You live with them; you'll have to speak to them eventually."

"I'm not avoiding them." Lydia shot back defensively, the lie more than evident on her face.

"Oh yeah, of course not." Brax scoffed sarcastically "That's why we've left two hours earlier than we needed to. And you scurried off pretty quickly when we got back last night."

"I was tired!" Lydia argued, making Brax smile amusedly.

"Whatever you say Lady," he sighed "but lying to them until after the wedding isn't going to be easy, you know that right?"

"I'm not lying," she retorted quietly after a minute of silently choosing her words "I'm choosing to omit certain information. There's a difference."

"There might be a difference, but they're both just as bad." Brax shot back simply, and Lydia was relieved for a minute when she saw Angelo's come into view, because it meant that the conversation would be dropped for a while.

That was, until she saw who was standing outside.

"You've got to the kidding me," she huffed incredulously.

He looked the same as he did the day she'd left. Light, fair brown hair that perpetually looked like he'd just gotten out of bed, no matter what he did to it, sat messily on top of his head. The sleeves of his black t-shirt strained slightly against the tight, tanned muscles of his arms. His long legs, that Lydia knew were just as defined as his arms, were crossed as he leaned casually against the wall. His foot tapped absently along to the song playing through the earphones that snaked across his chest, and Lydia knew without being near him that he was most likely humming along too. He did that a lot.

"What is he doing here?" Lydia demanded as Brax pulled up.

"I called him." Brax replied easily.

"Why?" Lydia asked when he didn't offer any elaboration.

"Didn't I tell you?" Brax questioned, feigning innocence "Sam's picking up a few shifts while he's at home."

"No, you didn't tell me!" Lydia hissed back "This is going to be so awkward!"

"What do you want me to say Lyd? Sam asked me before I even knew you were coming home."

"But I'm your sister!" Lydia argued almost pleadingly.

Brax shot her an expectant glare "You really want me to go over there and tell him that he can't have a job for a few weeks just because you're being a baby about it?"

"I'm not being a baby." She pouted sulkily.

"Clearly." Brax deadpanned back "Look Lady, I will tell him to go if you want me to, but I think it'll be more awkward if I do that. So why don't you just act like the mature young woman I know you can be, ey?"

Lydia sighed defeatedly and nodded, mentally trying to prepare herself for what might come as she got out of the car.

Sam looked over when he heard the Ute doors close, and his eyes widened momentarily when he saw Lydia, but he quickly righted himself. He stood up straight and tucked his earphones into his pocket and Lydia approached. She was wearing a small, slightly self-conscious smile on her face, and she tucked her hair behind her ear nervously.

"I'll see you two inside," Brax told them before letting himself in, leaving the two teens alone with each other.

"Hi," Lydia finally greeted when her brother disappeared.

"Hey" Sam replied, and after a long second of deliberation, he pulled her into a hug. "You look good. Being cosmopolitan must suit you."

"Thank you." Lydia replied. For a minute, she was stiff under his touch, but as soon as the familiar feel and smell of him hit her, she couldn't help but melt into his embrace. When they pulled apart again, Lydia felt her cheeks redden, but she beamed all the same.

"I didn't know you were coming home yet." Sam told her quickly in an attempt to move on with the conversation.

"It was a last minute decision." She explained "Did you know Heath's getting married next week?"

"Yeah, Dex told me." Sam replied with a smile "It's great. I'm happy for him."

"Maybe you could come. I'm sure they'd like you to be there." Lydia suggested, then cringed at the thought of what she'd said and how it might have sounded "I didn't mean, with me. I just, you..."

She trailed off, mentally kicking herself.

"Lydia, it's fine." Sam assured her "And yeah, maybe I will."

"Good." Lydia sighed, relieved that he understood. The last thing she wanted was to give him mixed signals. "Are you staying with Irene?" Sam nodded his answer, and Lydia was glad that the topic had changed again "I'm sure she's glad to have you home."

"I'm lucky to have her." Sam grinned. Irene was Sam's foster parent, and had been since he'd moved to the bay when he was eleven years old after his parents died in a car accident.

"How long are you here for?" Lydia questioned curiously.

"A few weeks," Sam shrugged, not really wanting to think about it "What about you?"

"I don't really know," Lydia replied "Probably about the same. I, err, I heard about Romeo." She told him "I'm sorry." It was a sincere comment, not just something to make conversation. Lydia knew that along with Dex, Romeo had been Sam's best friend, and they'd known each other for years-even before they'd both moved to the bay. Lydia had been devastated when Sasha had told her about Romeo's cancer, so she couldn't even begin to imagine how Sam had felt about it.

"Me too." Sam nodded in acknowledgement "I just wish he'd told me, but I kind of understand why he didn't. It couldn't have been an easy choice to make, but no matter what happened, he'll always be my best mate."

Without really thinking about, Lydia put her hand comfortingly on Sam's arm. "You're a good friend Sam."  
"Listen," Sam started, rubbing the back of his neck "I know I should have told you that I enlisted, but you were going to England, and we'd broken up-which I completely understand, by the way. I mean, I don't like it, but I get it."

"Don't worry about it." Lydia answered "You don't owe me apology. Like you said, we'd broken up. It was none of my business."

"It was your business," Sam argued earnestly "Just because we're not together, doesn't mean we're not friends Lyd. You still deserved to know."

"Ok, maybe I agree with that." Lydia replied with a mischievous grin "But I know now, so let's forget about it, alright?"

"I was thinking..." Sam began, fidgeting as he started "I know it doesn't make much sense for us to get back together, with me shipping out and you going back to England, though I really would like us to. But I don't want us to go another six months without talking. Maybe we could start again, right from when we first met, and see what happens from there?"

Lydia thought for a second, but it didn't really need much consideration. She'd missed Sam more than she knew how to explain, and there hadn't been a day that went by that she wished she hadn't broken things off between them, but it wouldn't be fair to mess Sam around now, so she nodded in agreement, willing to take whatever Sam was willing to offer.

"Great." He grinned, sticking out his hand for her to shake "Hi, I'm Sam Rogers."

"Lydia Braxton." Lydia introduced playfully, reciprocating the gesture.

"It's very nice to meet you. Where are you from Lydia Braxton?"

Lydia couldn't help but let out a laugh at the question. Sam was replaying the very first conversation they'd ever had, when Lydia had been new in town, and she'd been struggling to open her locker on her first day of school.

"Mangrove River." She replied, trying to hide her amused grin.

"Oh Jesus Christ." Sam sighed dejectedly, though a hint of a smile still lingered in his warm brown eyes that Lydia loved so much "The first pretty girl I ever pluck up the courage to talk to, and she's from Mangrove River. You're not going to beat me up for saying that now, are you?"

"No," Lydia chimed cheerfully "But my big brothers might."

"Great, she's got brothers." Sam groaned, making Lydia giggle "How many?"

"Come on Sam," she tittered "You know how many brothers I have."

"We can't stop now Lyd," Sam admonished, giving her light, playful shove.

"Alright, alright," Lydia relented "I have four brothers."

"Brilliant." He deadpanned sarcastically "I'm doomed aren't I?"

"Don't worry, I've got them on a pretty tight leash."Lydia assured him, just the same as she had done years ago when they'd first arrived in the bay, though the number of brothers was slightly higher now than it had been then "They'll only attack when I say so."

"So it's you I've got to keep happy then, not the big brothers." Sam challenged jestingly.

"Well, I certainly wouldn't recommend getting on their bad side, just in case." Lydia replied, but before they could go any further, Brax appeared on the balcony of the restaurant.

"And that's what's going to happen if you two don't get up here and do some work." He called down to them, making Sam and Lydia laugh.

"Alright, we're coming Brax." Lydia told him as they pulled themselves together. Brax nodded and disappeared again, and the two of them chuckled once more.

"I'm pretty sure one of your brothers interrupted us at about that point last time too." Sam commented as the two of them made their way slowly towards the door.

"Yeah, it was Casey." Lydia confirmed "God, he did _not _like you."

"The feeling was mutual." Sam exclaimed "He was a scary looking dude."

"Casey's not scary." Lydia replied incredulously.

"I know that now, but back then, I'd never met a River Boy, and they had quite the reputation." Sam explained "Aah, I said something, and I remember Casey looked like was about to rip my head off."

Lydia was quiet while Sam thought. She loved that he'd remembered so much of their first conversation, but she wanted to see if he could recall what she knew was her favourite part.

"Oh, I know," he exclaimed after a minute "I said 'I'll be seeing ya Lydia.'"

"And Casey kind of glared at you and growled 'You will?'" Lydia carried on, laughing at the fond memory.

"And I did." Sam finished, starting to take the stairs two at a time.

"Yes, you did." Lydia murmured to herself before following behind him.

Maybe things wouldn't be so awkward after all.


End file.
